CLEVELAND, Ohio – Just because Brandon Weeden temporarily lost his mind doesn’t mean you should lose yours, too.

If you’re part of the wailing and gnashing aimed at Rob Chudzinski for not turning to Jason Campbell to start against Green Bay, you need to sit down and wait until the fever passes – as Campbell did in the final exhibition game.

Campbell’s candidacy is built on what exactly? That the last underhand pass he threw was a slight improvement over Weeden’s – one incomplete, the other intercepted?

Twice, Chudzinski leapfrogged Campbell in the quarterback shuffle. The first time, he promoted Brian Hoyer over Campbell to start in Minnesota. That wasn’t a front office move, as some of us theorized at the time. It was the result of Chudzinski and Norv Turner watching Campbell (albeit in a tough situation) against the Ravens.

The second time was before the Thursday night game against Buffalo when they made Campbell inactive, and installed Weeden as the No. 2 quarterback despite limited practice time. In each instance, Chudzinski’s decisions produced victories – Hoyer leading a drive in Minnesota, and Weeden coming out of the bullpen for a win over Buffalo.

That’s another thing. After Weeden blew up the last chance against Detroit Sunday with an indefensible interception, everyone quickly pointed to his winless (0-3) record in 2013. Let’s be fair here and give him the Buffalo game. He was trailing when he replaced Hoyer. Had it happened the other way around, Hoyer would be awarded another notch on his belt for his rescue work.

Most criticisms of Weeden are valid. His lack of instinct in the pocket is obvious. He hears that he must avoid sacks at all costs. So what does he do? He avoids a sack at a terrible cost – Sunday’s game.

But acknowledging that doesn’t logically lead to replacing him. Not when Hoyer isn’t an option and won’t be all season. At least not until Weeden’s mistakes compound and he’s the reason the Browns don’t have a legitimate chance.

There’s more benefit to finding out if Chudzinski and Turner can coach up Weeden. Campbell is the one who doesn’t fit into next year’s plans. Does Weeden? Not as a starter, but beyond that we won’t know until we see how the Browns rank the college quarterbacks and what they land in the draft.

Browns’ players risked throwing themselves overboard in trying to convince us how much they believed in Weeden after the Buffalo game. They’ll try to say the same things again this week. In the meantime, they do believe in Chudzinski and Turner, who were right in the Hoyer-over-Campbell decision before Minnesota and in the Weeden-over-Campbell call before Buffalo.

As for Weeden over Campbell and Hoyer in preseason? That was an organizational decision to give Chud and Turner a crack at bringing out the best in Weeden.

So here we are after a bad loss in which a lot more than the quarterback play needed improvement. Weeden just happened to stamp it his fault with a fiasco of a play.

Chudzinski can justify Weeden keeping the starting job because it was a really bad play, but also for an even simpler reason.

Hard as it may be to fathom, he’s the Browns’ best quarterback.

SPINOFFS

• Trainers in Miami measure former Ohio State center Greg Oden’s knee after every practice and limit his work the next day based on the swelling.

The scale goes from “normal” to “slight swelling” to “Bynum.”

• Mike Ditka says he regrets not running as a Republican against Barack Obama in the Illinois Senate race in 2004 because that might’ve kept Obama out of the White House.

And, who knows, maybe launched Ditka to the Oval Office. Where based on the principles and good judgment shown in the Ricky Williams deal while head coach of the New Orleans Saints, he could’ve provided historians a new definition of “trade deficit.”

• On one measly sports Sunday, Boston celebrated Tom Brady’s winning TD pass with five seconds remaining against New Orleans, then watched the Red Sox’ David Ortiz hit a grand slam to help deliver a series-changing win in the ALCS against Detroit.

Because some beleaguered sports towns just deserve a break now and then.

• Steelers coach Mike Tomlin did away with ping pong in the locker room during the bye week. This week he’s outlawing somersaults in the end zone after Emmanuel Sanders did a front flip across the goal line Sunday in New York.

• Jets coach Rex Ryan called Sunday a “horrible day for the Ryan family” after his team lost to the Steelers, and after brother Rob Ryan’s New Orleans defense gave up a TD pass to Brady with five seconds remaining.

“It’s a good thing my dad is out of coaching,” Rex Ryan said. “You want every team in your division to lose, in particular New England.”

If you find yourself wondering how much worse it could've been if Buddy Ryan were still coaching, so probably does Kevin Gilbride who once came face-to-knuckles with him.

• The World Anti Doping Agency is launching an intensive probe of Jamaica’s track and field program after a former administrator suggested drug testing leading up to the London Games was shoddy.

Jamaica won eight of the 12 Olympic sprint medals.

After Lance Armstrong claimed seven consecutive Tour de France wins was circumstantial, WADA can expect the Jamaicans to claim 8 of 12 is evidence of performance dehancing.

• The Green Bay Packers are hurting, having lost wide receiver Randall Cobb for multiple weeks, and outside linebacker Nick Perry to a foot injury. In 2010, the Packers had 15 players on injured reserve and won the Super Bowl.

So if you’re looking for a development that means good news for the Browns this weekend, the better bet is still Brian Hoyer being healed at Lourdes or Fatima.

• ESPN’s Rick Reilly is involved in a dispute. He quoted Bob Burns, a Blackfeet elder, dismissing the “Redskins” nickname controversy as something not all that important in the context of issues facing Native Americans.

Burns says he was misrepresented and that he wants it known he considers “Redskins” a racist reference that should end – the sooner the better.

This disagreement is interesting journalistically – did Reilly misquote him or is Burns going into damage control?

But it’s mostly interesting because Burns is Reilly’s father-in-law and Thanksgiving dinner is on the horizon.

• Tampa’s Greg Schiano had this to say to an angry fan base: “If they hang in there, we’re going to be good,” the Buccaneers’ head coach said. “If they can’t, we’re still going to be good and they’re welcome back.”

In other words, it’s not business as usual, OK?

Now get that man an umbrella drink.

• Nike says its LeBron 11 shoe was inspired by Chinese Terracotta Warriors. The shoe launched in China, where high levels of mercury have been found in the soil near the emperor’s tomb where the life-size pottery figures were unearthed.

Levels even higher than the pretentiousness found at Nike headquarters in Oregon.

HE SAID IT

“You can’t toss and turn quarterbacks every week." – Browns linebacker Craig Robertson on why the team will rally around Weeden.

But nothing says they can’t leave you tossing and turning.

YOU SAID IT

(The Regular Midweek Edition)

Bud:

When do you feel most nervous: 1) when Brandon Weeden has a football in his hands; 2) when Chris Perez has a baseball in his hands; 3) when DeSagana Diop has a basketball in his hands? – Fred Corrigan, Orlando, Fla.

When “You Said It” contributors have their hands on a keyboard.

Bud:

Is Miami of Ohio still in Division I football? – OU Joe

Yes. And to my knowledge so are the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Bud:

How many sandwiches can Joey Chestnut eat from the time the ball is snapped to when Weeden throws it? – Michael Sarro

Overhand or underhand?

Bud:

What do you call a Halloween theater production about a skeleton noggin? A bonehead play. -- James D, Richmond Hts.

(See answer to first “You Said It” email)

Bud:

Any news on Browns' cheerleaders? – Russ G

Sorry but the organization believes fans are content looking at Oneal Cousins in all brown.

Hey Bud:

I saw where Donte Whitner is legally changing his name to Donte Hitner. Have you considered changing your name to Bud Haw? -- Bob H, Strongsville

Hitting is what he does best. When I find out what it is I do, I may consider the appropriate change.

Bud:

Does Ray Lewis wear glasses on ESPN Monday Night Countdown to improve his vision or as a disguise? – Jim Corrigan, Fairview Park

First-time “You Said It” winners receive a T-shirt from the Mental Floss collection. Repeat winners get the help they need.

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